Ghana’s first female pilot, Melody Millicent Danquah, was born in Larteh-Akuapem, on January 16, 1937, to Mr Ibinijjah Rexford Addo-Danquah, a Court Registrar and Arbitrator, and Selina Gyamfi.
She was the sixth child of her parent.
Melody had her formal education at the Methodist Primary and Middle School, Larteh, and Wesley Girls Senior High School, Cape Coast. She was also a student at the Government Secretarial School.
Melody Danquah was chosen as one of the first three women who were trained by the Ghana Air Force in 1963 as female pilots. She passed out successfully from the Ghana Military Academy after obtaining the required grades.
She finished first in her class and was named Flt. Cadet Danquah. She flew solo for the first time in a “de Havilland Canada” DHC-1 Chipmunk aircraft on June 22, 1964, becoming the first Ghanaian female and African woman to fly an aircraft alone. She received her wings which qualified her as a pilot from the then Minister of Defence, Kofi Baako, on April 15, 1965.
She brought her flying career to an end in June 1968 and was transferred to the administrative branch of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Melody Danquah was discharged from the service in 1984 due to ill health.
She received the Long Service award and “The Efficiency Medal” for her work in the military. After she retired from the military, she worked for the “World Food Programme” for a brief period and later worked as the National Service Secretariat
In 2006, former President John Agyekum Kufour presented her with the “Companion of the Order” of the Volta in relation to her groundbreaking spirit and courage.
She earned a Diploma in Bible Studies and Theology at age 60 and began to preach to military audiences. She was also appointed as one of the Board of Directors for the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
Melody Danquah was celebrated during International Women’s Day in 2017 for being an inspiration and a mentor to women.
Melody Millicent Danquah died on 18th March 2016 at age 79 and was succeeded by her daughter Professor Angela Lamensdorf Ofori-Atta, a Clinical Psychologist at the University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry, and three grandchildren.
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Sources: Wikipedia and Facefaceafrica.com